Dell Latitude E5430 14-inch Laptop (Intel Core i5 3320M 2.6GHz 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD, DVDRW, LAN, WLAN, BT, Integrated Graphics, Windows 7 Professional)

Product Information

Suffice it to say, the Latitude E5430 is yet another step toward affordable perfection in the business market. It represents an intelligent balance between luxury and economics, focusing on the areas which matter most and skimming over some of the more robust details championed by the upper-echelon Latitude E6XXX series. It improves upon its predecessor by adding USB 3.0 (2 ports) and extending the battery life while simultaneously improving performance—even in the graphics department, which continues to impress with the help of the Ivy Bridge-based Intel HD Graphics 4000.

The Latitude E5430’s optional fingerprint readerprovides biometric authentication that is also remotely administrable if desired, while TPM 1.2and smart card enrollmentare available for an added cost. Meanwhile, self-encrypting hard drives, which are mainstays in many modern enterprise environments, are also an option.The anti-glare screen is a mixed bag. Yes, it will prevent screen reflections from fatiguing your users' eyes, but the screen is also a little dull looking next to newer ultrabooks. Intel classifications are for general, educational and planning purposes only and consist of Export Control Classification Numbers (ECCN) and Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) numbers. Any use made of Intel classifications are without recourse to Intel and shall not be construed as a representation or warranty regarding the proper ECCN or HTS. Your company as an importer and/or exporter is responsible for determining the correct classification of your transaction. The microcontroller is handing control of the computer to the processor. This code persists if no processor is detected.

While other changes have taken place, the big story with Dell’s 2012 Latitude refresh is the inclusion of Ivy Bridge CPU options. Less pricey Sandy Bridge models are still available, and neither choice will result in a slow PC by any judgment. It’s worth noting that Dell also lists Intel Celeron Bxxx CPUs as an option, but as of this writing such a configuration isn’t selectable. Beyond that, the choices range from a Core i3-2328M Sandy Bridge CPU all the way to a 2.9 GHz Core i7-3520M, the latter of which is currently the fastest dual-core Ivy Bridge CPU around. Our review model features a 2.8 GHz Core i5-3360M, which is only slightly slower than the top-end Core i7-3520M. The Core i5-3360M CPU’s performance rivals even the fastest dual-core Sandy Bridge CPUs. In our synthetic benchmarks, we witnessed scores comparable to the Core i7-2640M in most categories, and consistently higher than the Core i7-2620M. Cinebench R10/R11.5 both tested the i5-3360M in our unit higher than the similar second-generation i7 CPUs, and the 3DMark 06 CPU benchmark agrees. wPrime places the i5-3360M squarely between the i7-2620M and i7-2640M, but the results are so similar (around 2.5% difference) that comparisons really don’t mean much. The bottom line is that the Core i5-3360M should provide more than enough power for just about any business user who’s looking to accomplish the essentials with their notebook, but it also shows no signs of weakness in terms of heavier tasks such as photo and video editing. Terms Apply. Promotion ends 3 December 2023. Items are subject to availability. Max 5 units per customer. Amazingly, with a few exceptions, the Latitude E5430 actually manages to stay cooler than the larger E5530, even with the same CPU and other basic components. Following an hour of simultaneous CPU and GPU stressing for a full hour using Furmark and Prime95, the underside of the notebook reached an average temperature of just 35. 6°C, which is nearly a full degree lower than the E5530’s temperature under the same conditions. This renders the notebook comfortable for use on the lap even when under load in most situations. Max Turbo Frequency refers to the maximum single-core processor frequency that can be achieved with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology. See www.intel.com/technology/turboboost/ for more information and applicability of this technology.

Connectivity

The same applies to the Intel HD Graphics 4000 GPU, but perhaps to an even greater extent. This GPU has consistently proven itself to be faster than even the highest recorded scores of its HD 3000 counterpart in nearly every situation. This leaves little doubt that the notebook should be able handle most any low- to mid-range graphical task with no trouble. One of the most-discussed features of the Ivy Bridge chipset is Intel HD Graphics 4000, which you’ll find included with any mid- to high-end third-generation Intel Core CPU. While integrated solutions still can’t compete with midgrade or better discrete adapters in terms of performance, they are better in terms of power consumption and cost, and—at least in the case of the HD 4000—they come close enough to their lower-end discrete comrades such as to render them quite enticing for many users. Two Nanya 2 GB DDR3-1600 RAM modules (4 GB total) came installed in our review unit, which is more than enough for most users. But with the extremely low prices of DDR3 RAM and the considerable ease of upgrading components in the Latitude E5430, it’s easy to justify a higher amount. Fortunately, up to 16 GB of RAM is supported (8 GB per slot), so there should be no trouble reaching a sufficient number.